CF Tourists - is it worse ??

[WeWillLookBack]

We have just got back from a few days in Cornwall - we live in Devon, so spend a lot of time in both counties and are very used to tourists and holiday makers. We stayed in a 'pub with rooms on the beach, which was lovely. However - I am utterly gobsmacked by the level of CF we have witnessed in the 3 days. It feels like peoples entitlement is off the scale. I don't know how those in hospitality are dealing with it.

Wednesday - Woman went mental at the poor young lad serving in the beer garden - insisted she had booked a table outside. Very politely told her that they do not take reservations for the garden, just the restaurant. Screaming ' Are you calling me a liar'. He went in, and didn't come back out.

Friday AM - they serve breakfast for guests 8am-9.30am, then open for breakfast at 9.30am (lots of signs saying open at 9.30am). At 8.30am a group were outside - rattling the door. Member of staff opens the door, and lets them know they open at 9.30am. Lots of moaning - insisting they can have breakfast now etc. She says no - very polite. So he tells her it is disgusting that they allow guests to sit in the window eating when others can't ! ( and to make up for their error, they should serve them breakfast too)

Friday evening - Family of 6 rocked up - no space in the beer garden. Started shouting - so the owner came out. Man very angry - they had driven for 6 hours - and the kids needed feeding. The owner was great - polite but firm. The man actually suggested the owner walk around the beer garden and checked when people were leaving so they could secure a table. He said no. A lot of swearing. Asked to leave.

Drive home Saturday morning. Along a winding road along the coast - car in front just stops. Man gets out and stands looking at the sea. Single lane - so I cant go around him. After a few moments I beep - he stomps over to my car and says 'Can I help you' ... I say you have blocked the road - could you move please. To which he responds 'I am looking at the view - maybe you could just be kind' FFS !!!

@Octomore . I agree , but to stand over us discussing a strategy while we’re we’re still eating is a bit much don’t you think. I would have preferred a polite interruption confirming if we’re were leaving soon rather than being discussed openly while we hadn’t even paid or grabbed our coats

I’m not likely to take five pairs of wellies on holiday alongside walking boots. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever taken wellies on holiday. It’s a pretty unreasonable expectation for a tourist attraction I think.

That said; I work in hospitality and I completely agree that customers and the general public have got much ruder and more entitled over the last few years; starting with Eat Out to Help Out.

I wouldn't worry about poor reviews in this sort of scenario. People will read them in context and know the person writing was batshit. I hope that if I leave a bad review (never a rude one) other potential visitors look at other reviews I've written and see that I am usually really nice about places, so if I leave a bad review there's a very good reason for it.

With the NC500, I feel that part of the problem is that a whole area has been commoditised by it (and even given a snappy title for marketing).

I did what is now the NC500 route back in in the 1980s. We rarely saw another car on the west coast and around the top. The roads were empty. When we popped into the Wildcat Stores in Gairloch, we came out to find a group of curious locals standing around our car trying to work out what it was (they knew it was a motor car, obviously).

Based on the stories I hear, I don’t think I would want to repeat the trip now.

This was me recently. A young couple moved from their original seats to behind me! They were chatting away, I, finally, after 30 minutes of this, lost it and told them some of the people in the cinema actually wanted to watch the film so be quiet! 😡

I have done that when 4 women were sitting at a table for 8 which we needed but I did it politely and they were happy to swap. I wouldn't have done it if they had already started eating.

Unreasonable to expect people to travel with wellies? Fuck me, talk about precious. How hard is it to sling them in a carrier bag

Why would you take wellies on holiday in the summer? Even in most part of the UK you are unlikely to need them. And if you are going walking in muddy places you'll have walking boots. You're hardly going to take wellies with you on the off chance that an attraction you come across requires them are you? And overseas visitors are unlikely to take them on a plane.

This assume you've not researched in advance but in most cases I am guessing people get up, think "what shall we do today" and make a decision to go somewhere. So they won't have brought wellies with them.

If I read a review talking about rude staff I always wonder what that person did to upset them. Generally if you are polite the people serving you will be too.

Absolutely. People are giving examples of where they have responded and staff need training and strategies for handling difficult customers to keep themselves safe at work, but especially where alcohol is involved, why would a random member of the public put themselves at risk?

The worst tourist I have ever seen where American though.

We where in Africa and had hired a private guide as I could get lost in my own garden lol, he was a native of the land which features a popular 'wonder of nature' tourist attraction but his family own the land and use it to live and farm but they allow tourist to visit and had 2 shops where they would sell things to tourist to make extra money as they allowed people access for free (it was a fresh squeezed orange juice bar and a homemade traditional soap shop).

As we where a paying private party of 2 not a big tour bus group he invited us into his house as he wanted to speak to his mam on the way and he offered to show us a traditional house set up (all he asked we do not go in their bedrooms as they are private) and he pointed out things and explained how they work (like using a mud hammam etc...) and showed us a decanter of traditional drink his mother had JUST made, his little sister was doing he homework at the table so we tried to stay out of the way and we where only there about 5 minutes tops.

Just as we where about to leave, I was stood at the door (just on the inside) and a group of about 15-16 american tourist just barged right into this man HOME completely univited.

They all split of in different directions some heading straight into the bedroom pulling out and playing 'dress up' in the clothes.

Some where laughing at the 'funny toilet' and mock how primitive it was (because its the hamam not a toilet).

One lot where forcably posing next to and taking pictures of his little sister doing her school work and one stood next to me poured out a glass of the drink took a mouthful declared it was disgusting the POURED IT ON THE FLOOR.

It all happened in like a minute as the split into different groups maximising the distruction.

I was mortified, I have never seen anyone act like that ever... the poor guide said it wasnt uncommon behavior so they are use to it.

@Sellorkeep - to avoid paying the correct amount of tax!

Scianel, totally agree, I liken it to having a conversation with a colleague who says 'we went to on holiday' and you say, oh, where's that? And them replying Just Google it.

🤣

YANBU

I live in Cornwall and most of the tourists genuinely make the place what it is and their love of it makes me appreciate it so much more.
They’re friendly, always in a great mood and help keep Cornwall safe, clean and tidy.

Then there are other tourists.
The ones that are so entitled that they forget this is where people work and live and isn’t just a place to accommodate solely them.

The amount of times I have seen people throw their rubbish on the floor and their reply is they don’t live here so it’s not their problem.
I have seen many being rude to staff in different industries.
I think they forget that we don’t have as much money down here and get annoyed by the fact we are less well equipped than many other areas - they get annoyed by the public transport, lack of activities, shops not staying open later etc etc.

I’m sure this happens in all holiday destinations but I’ve never acted so entitled when I visit somewhere.

It’s a shame because as I said most people are amazing but it only takes a few bad eggs which makes people resent all of them which is so unfair.

we go to summer festivals, kids petting farms, tourist caves, waterfalls, forts, historic replica museums etc... I often take wellie.

What british holiday activities others than the pub and beach dont require wellies? even most the outdoor museum might require them.

Unless I missed it, I'm surprised nobody's accused folk of being "judgey" yet 🙄

Another here who agrees lockdown hasn't helped; there's a level of frustration which built up and now needs somewhere to go, especially now the consequences of what so many wanted are being seen.
No excuse of course, but maybe something to do with it?

I used to work in a restaurant and had a family walk in looking for a table. The restaurant was empty but was fully booked with the reservations due in within the hour. They wouldn't believe us when we said we had nothing available for them, they demanded to see our reservation list (GDPR issue 🤦‍♀️) asked us to move tables around to squeeze them in as they would be quick and no trouble (you were already trouble, asshole) They were furious as they left and insisted they wouldn't be back. Like we cared, ha! The service industry seems to draw out the CFers in people.

I can guarantee that the people acting like this are all your mates. I've had to withdraw from a group because I know one of the families have absolutely laid into school repeatedly, to the point where staff have left rather than deal with them, but in social circles they are nice as pie. I can't stand their double faced act; it's exactly the twattish behaviour you see on this thread. It's everywhere these days.

I'm quite proud that my rudeness (or lack thereof) and the wellies (or lack thereof) seem to be most talked about topics on this thread 😁

"'I am looking at the view - maybe you could just be kind'" 😂 what a jackass! Confirms me in my view that most people who use the phrase just mean "do what I want you to do".

no I have to agree with the other poster, nothing in what YOU posted indicates any kind of rudeness from him (he asked not demanded and said 'would you mind' which is acceptbly polite phrasing, you where rude back) but occupying a large table needed by a large party for 2 people when smaller ones are availible is always rude.

Well if you want to visit a tourist attraction that requires wellies, the thinking man would pack, among other things, wellies.

Yeah that and me being thick.

Anyone noticing that U.K. tourist spots are quieter this year as many have gone abroad for the first time?

My friends drove to Dorset on Sat - expecting the usual traffic from London and they flew down - also said that the beach at Swanage was v quiet even through cracking weather and first week of school holidays compared to other years.

A thread on here a few years ago about Covid tourists in U.K. had one resident of a nice area wanting to write to the Spanish people to apologise for what they had endured for decades.

It's not the younger generations are the culprits of this behaviour, in my experience...